clxiii 



quite snvi^ lliat liowuvor liiiiituJ tlie rcstiiclioii on nsliiiij^- iii;iy Iio, il, will 

 lie lookt'd (111 with liisiavoiir ami (llssafisCaotion, and lli(3 maeliiiiciy which 

 will have to he used to restrain lisheiiiiou will not he the least liuiden- 

 somo feature of the measure. Supervisors and a host of chujuassies will 

 have to he let loose ahout the country, who hy their rapacity and 

 ojipressiveness will cause a measure of usefulness and ultimate profit 

 to be hateful to the (ishcrinen, and iudireclly to the consumers of fish. 

 If it is ohjeetcd that the measure can be carried out by the existin;!^ 

 I'olice force and Tehsil eslalilishmcnts, as probably it can be, then every 

 fisherman in the district will be under the eye and dependent ou the 

 favour of the Police or Revenue establishments. And the result is jdaiu 

 to see — not n fisherman would be in favour with these oflieinls, utdess 

 the tables of the latter were freely sujiplied with fish, &c. The fact is, 

 in this part of the country, there is enough fish for all who want it, and 

 to spare, and there is no need whatever lor any chanirc of practice, and 

 I stronyly deprecate any interference whatever" fWith such stron<j 

 opinions of reprobating' action in a question which he admits may 

 "cause a measure of usefulness and ultimate profit," it is to be regretted 

 more reasons are not adduced to show if any regulations are needed, 

 and if so, what such ought to be. The following notes, however, are 

 forwarded, which do not seem to prove that the fisheries are well cared 

 lor in this district.] The xi.ssisiani Collector, whilst reiieating the above 

 objections, observes : — " In this district brecdiiig-lish and very young 

 ones are undoubtedly destroyed indiscriminately to a very great extent. 

 In the Ganges and other rivers, in tanks, ponds, flooded lands, &c., 

 principally during and after the rainy season, by nets of all sorts, by 

 rods, by traps, I^y draining off water, and so stranding tlicni, or lading 

 them out, and in some jilaces even by poison. The meshes of some of 

 the nets used arc no larger than a small pea." If the minimum size 

 of the mesh of nets is regulated, such should only be in force for the two 

 or three months following the breeding season, but "the people concerned 

 will look upon legislation on this subject as a new interference with, and 

 an unfair restriction of, their rights." That no objections exist against 

 prohibiting the sale of fry in the bazars, which would be easily put in 

 force, at least in the principal bazars. The OlJlciiilinr/ Collector of Bena- 

 res (.lanuary lltli, 1873) observed: — "Although it is doubtless true that 

 both breeding-fish and very small fiy are extensively caught, the result 

 of en(]uiries instituted by me docs not prove that there has been any 

 observable diminution in the supply of fish in the city of Benares 

 during the last few years." Hindus, except Baishnus and Jains, use 

 fish as food, as do also the Mahomedans, with this reservation that the 

 Shias reject the scaleless forms. A belief appears to exist that during 

 the hot weather and rains fish are not so wholesome as during the cold 

 months. " Amongst the lirahmins, I am informed that about 25 per cent, 

 cat fish, wdiile amongst the rest of the p<>[iulation, 75 per cent, may 

 safely be put down as fish-eating." The larger kinds of fish are sun- 

 dried and salted at certain seasons, and are almost wholly sold to 

 Bengalis. About 50 maunds of fish per diem are consumed in the 

 district, except in April and ]\Iay, when the supply is largest. " (1) 

 J?recding-fish are cxiensively destroyed in this district, also very young 

 onus, but the latter only in the rivcis and streams. (ilj i'Vom the 



